Specialty Box Office: ‘Salinger’ Solid In Packed But Dismal Weekend For New Indies

The weekend boasted a hefty number of Specialty newcomers though that translated into mostly unimpressive results. Most new titles this weekend will likely have short big screen lives. The Weinstein Company’s Salinger, however, skirted that 3-day trend with a gross of just under $91K and a cool $22,742 average putting it in the top tier of documentary openers this year, though titles such as The Act Of Killing ($27,450) and Stories We Tell ($27,053) still showed more opening muscle.

“There’s a lot of stuff about Salinger people want to hear and it’s a unique film,” said TWC’s Erik Lomis ahead of this weekend’s release. “It will get buzz and it’s worth the watch.” Following this weekend’s limited roll out, Salinger will head to 60 markets in 175 to 200 theaters the following week.

TWC’s French-language comedy Populaire had another new film in theaters, though its numbers were far smaller. Directed by Régis Roinsard, the feature grossed $16,662 for a slow $5,554 average. “It is strictly art house,” said Lomis about the feature. “I think it will appeal to an older audience but it also has a unique style that might play to people over 35.”

Magnolia Pictures also released two titles this weekend, though its theatrical numbers were blasé. Good Ol Freda grossed $8K giving it the weekend’s second best PSA among the newcomers, though that was only in one theater. Its other film, Touchy Feely with Rosemarie DeWitt and Ellen Page, fared worse, only grossing $4K in two theaters. Even director Lynn Shelton’s smaller budget previous film Your Sister’s Sister had an $8,402 opening weekend PSA in 13 theaters when it opened in June, 2012. Both Good Ol Freda and Touchy Feely were available via VOD/day and date.

Even as Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom debuted in Toronto, the bio-drama centering on the South African anti-Apartheid leader and former President Nelson Mandela’s first wife Winnie Mandela opened in 32 theaters, grossing just under $70K and averaging only $2,174.

Among other openers, International Film Circuit’s Fire In The Blood grossed $4,580 in one theater, while Millennium’s Hell Baby bowed in 10 locations, grossing $5,315 for a dismal $531 average.

The Film Arcade added 23 theaters for the second weekend of Afternoon Delight, grossing just under $60K for a $2,391 average. The film opened in 2 theaters Labor Day weekend with a four-day $18,504 average. Spanish-language record-breaker Instructions Not Included added 370 runs and continued to win over audiences. The film opened in 347 theaters last weekend, grabbing headlines for its record $10M opening. Now in 717 theater, the film grossed $8.1 million with a solid $11,297 average. And eOne’s Passion lost one location in its second week, grossing $15,466 for a $1,190 average and a two week come just over $71K.

TWC added 55 theaters for Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster, grossing just over $1.03 million and a $1,291 average. It will easily pass the $5 million cume mark by the beginning of next week. And SPC’s Blue Jasmine handily passed the $25M in its 7th week. It grossed over $2.68 million, averaging $2,515 in 1,069 runs.